GILROY—California Highway Patrol officers will offer free car seat inspections at Gilroy Gardens Oct. 24 as part of the “Seats for Treats” program to make sure they fit children properly, and to ensure parents know how to use them. The first 100 cars will receive one free ticket for admission to the theme park, according to CHP Officer Chris Miceli.
Certified safety technicians with the CHP will be checking to see if each car seat is expired, is on a list of recalled products and is appropriate for the child’s age, height and weight.
Approximately four in five car seats are not installed correctly, Miceli said.
“A lot of times, it’s just the technique,” Miceli said.
Officers will not be issuing tickets to parents whose children are not properly secured in car seats, as the law requires, he added. The event, now in its third year, is educational and designed to help parents get the tools they need to properly seat children in a vehicle.
“Most parents show up and know something is not right with the seat,” Miceli said, adding the most common complaint is that a seat simply won’t tighten. Safety technicians will demonstrate how to properly install the seat after checking to see if it’s current. After that, it’s the parent’s turn.
“It’s pretty cool because the light goes off, and parents see it’s not that hard once they learn the technique,” he said.
The inspections will take place in the main parking lot of Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Highway, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For those who cannot make the event, Miceli said the CHP offers free car seat safety checks at its Gilroy office, 740 Renz Lane, every Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.
For more information about the event, email 72******@gm***.com.
Get your child’s car seat inspected by a certified child passenger safety technician in the main parking lot of Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Highway, on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The first 100 cars receive one free ticket to Gilroy Gardens; one ticket is allowed per vehicle. No appointment is necessary. For more information, email 72******@gm***.com.
